The Night Rider

Chapter 40: Half a Helmet

ASTRIDS POV.

Astrid coughed up ash that had covered the inside of her mouth. "That. Was..." Ruffnut said before her brother finished the exasperation. "Awesome..." Astrid looked around, she could barely see through the thick cloud of ash in the surrounding sky. "Night Rider?" She called out her voice breaking through the ash wall. Snotlout walked up beside her and gave her a worried look. Stoick lumbered past them ahead of the rest of the pack of Vikings. He searched around frantically, his breath ragged and a terrified look in his eyes. "Everyone look, look for him!" Ordered Stoick and none of the Vikings disobeyed. They probably thought their chief wanted to find the Night Rider so he could kill him himself but Astrid knew that was farther from the truth than anything could possibly be. "Night Rider!" Fishlegs called out his voice echoing off stones around her. In his voice Astrid could hear the concern, she looked back at him, and she could see it in his eyes as well.

"Night Rider!" Called a Viking. "Night Rider!" Called out another. Their tone of voice was threatening and she began to think about what might happen to Hiccup if he was found by a random Berkian and not someone who was inside the informed circle about who he was. "Night Rider!" Stoick called from up ahead, his tone was so sad and doubtful that it sounded like he was pleading with the dust in the air to return Hiccup to him. Time passed and the smog in the air began to dissipate but they hadn't seemed to make any headway in finding Hiccup. "Stoick over here!" Yelled a Viking from somewhere and Astrid hurried towards the sound of their voice. There was a small group of three Vikings observing something on the floor. Oil? What was oil doing here? But it wasn't oil. Astrid reached down and plucked it off the floor. A Night Fury scale...

Stoick lumbered up beside her and saw what she had grasped in her hand. Stoick ran passed her and all the other Vikings and continued searching but Astrid was to preoccupied in her memories. She remembered the feeling of these scales, her mind brought her back to the flight Hiccup had taken her on when she hadn't even known it was him under the helmet. On that flight she had touched Toothless's scales, they had felt extremely foreign to her fingertips at first but now as she held one in her hands again it no longer felt foreign and it made he wonder how it ever had felt that way before. "Night Rider!" Stoick screamed from up ahead, she couldn't see him but he was close. She rushed down the beach reaching him in a matter of moments. "Look." He said when she did and he pointed towards the ground. Scattered all around on the stone floor where dozens upon dozens of Night Fury scales.

Astrid saw on his face that he was taking it as a good sign, that they were nearing Hiccup. But for Astrid the discovery of the scales only made her more and more anxious. "Everyone this way!" Stoick commanded and him and all the Vikings began to follow the trail of scales and it wasn't long until they found what they had been tracking. They all stopped, including Stoick. Astrid broke through the crowd and her heard sank... Toothless. He was on the beach overturned on his side. His saddle was gone and any straps that remained on him where mostly melted or a tangled and knotted mess. His artificial tail fin was gone completely except for a few melted metal bars. His wings were folded in-front of him at an awkward angle.

No one moved an inch, except Stoick. He inched closer slowly approaching Toothless. Astrid focused on the dragon more and a smile crept across her features when she noticed the extremely light heaving of his chest. He was alive! Toothless was alive! But... where was Hiccup? Stoick dropped to his knee's beside the dragons head and Toothless's eyelids slowly fluttered open revealing the emerald green orbs. They were unfocused at first but when they landed on Stoick they became still, observing him closely. Astrid couldn't see Stoick's face but she was almost certain that it was covered in pain. "I'm so- I'm so sorry." Stoick said so quietly that Astrid could barely hear it. Toothless's eyelids slid back closed and his head sank back to the floor his body becoming still. But then his wings began to expand, unfolding from one another.

Astrid watched curiously and she was certain that all the other Vikings were as well. Time moved slowly, slower than a snail. The long glossy black wings finished unraveling and she saw him. He was lying on his back, his head looking up to the sky his face still obscured by just helmet, his body was still. His shirt was gone and his torso was covered in blistered skin. But that wasn't the worst of it... his foot was gone. It had been replaced with a stump that oozed blood and Astrid felt the contents of her stomach churn at the sight of it. Hiccups head rolled to the right giving her and everyone else proof that he was alive! But she saw his face. His helmet must have severely damaged in the crash because half of it was missing. The remaining half of Hiccups helmet rolled off his face revealing the entire thing to the crowd.

Every Viking present gasped and murmurs of Hiccups name circulated through the crowd. Stoick ran for his son picking him partially off the ground and cradling him protectively. Stoick yanked his helmet off his head and flung it aside pressing his ear up to his sons blistered chest. Astrid held her breath and so did all the other Vikings. Stoicks tense form collapsed and he began to sob. "He's alive!" He exclaimed and a single tear ran down Astrids cheek. "You brought my son back alive!" Cried out Stoick looking at Toothless. A wide smile spread across her face and for the first time in days she allowed herself to she a tear. There was rapid movement in the crowd and Gobber burst through hobbling to Stoicks side. Gobbers dropped to his knees beside Stoick, he was confused. He looked at Hiccup, the too Stoick, and then to the dragon. It was clear he didn't know quiet what to think about what he was seeing. 

There was a loud thud next to her. Astrid looked over and she found the Nadder had returned. It squawked and nuzzled her, many Vikings looking at her in disappointment, disapproval, and utter confusion. There were three more sounds of impact around and Astrid saw the rest of the dragons they had been fighting with against the queen had landed. Most of the Vikings looked terrified and she was afraid some would attack. But others look somewhat fascinated at finally seeing a dragon up close without having to fight. 'What would happen now?' Astrid wondered. 'What would happen now...?'

(Authors Note)
PLEASE READ, the P.S. is important!

Okay so yes I know this chapter is terrible I wrote it in like 30 minutes. Also I'm also aware that there's probably a ton of spelling mistakes and for that I apologize. There might not be another chapter for a while and that's because I am going on a vacation which is so annoying because there's a 75% chance that this is the second to last chapter!!!! How is this book so close to over!? I feel like I started it yesterday.

ALSO P.S.: I feel like Hiccups reveal was really confusing and that's probably because I couldn't quite find the proper way to word it so if your were confused by it please, please, please, please say so so I can explain it. Well that's all from me thanks for reading. -Samuel Scutter